Calaveras County is in the California gold country in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains. It was made famous in the Mark Twain short story The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.

It was not the 19th century gold rush, but the 21st century real estate rush, that brought us today's tragic tale.

The Calaveras County Sheriff's Office has identified the three people killed in the suspected murder suicide in Murphys.

The body of 54-year-old Phillip Marshall, and his two juvenile children, were found inside their home in the Forest Meadows subdivision yesterday afternoon. All three died from gunshot wounds to the head. The children were 17-year-old Alex Marshall and 14-year-old Macaila Marshall, both students at Bret Harte High School. The family dog was also found dead. The Sheriff's Office believes that Phillip shot his children, and then turned the gun on himself. Phillip's estranged wife, and mother of the two children, was out of town at the time of the shootings.

The home at 1259 Sandalwood Drive was purchased in 2004 for $584,000. It is now worth $344,616 according to Zillow.

Comments

It was the Dems, starting with Andrew Cuomo, who caused this. With the racist intent "Community Investment Act" and the policy of the government agencies Fannie and Freddie to force banks to make bad loans.

Too bad he didn't hold out a little longer. It seems that The Bernank is doing a great job at reflating that monster bubble. That house would have been back in no time.

A realtor in the Creek over the weekend told us that you have to have an inside line on a house to buy it. Nothing makes it even to listing anymore. You have to know someone to get a house there otherwise it's Concord for you, to buy.

If you really want a conspiracy theory, read the books that Phil wrote. Take these numbers off of your stupid body count. The value of his house - which was going back up - was not the cause of this tragedy.

The poor man was probably polluted with an irrational thought that there is some better life in death. Religion helps these poor fools justify crossing the line and doing the monstrous. When will we all consider all these Charlatan, Shill, and Shyster preachers worse than Congressman?

Excuse me but as a friend of Alex, I find it slightly rude of you to degrade the importance of his loss by pointing out the value of his house. You should respect his family and community by learning what is and is not ok, and I find it completely insensitive of you!

As someone who was extremely close to Alex and Macaila... I really wish you would all stop talking about conspiracies... there was no conspiracy. Phillip Marshall was not a bad man, he just did a bad thing. Seeing as none of you have EVER or will NEVER met anyone who has actually been effected by this, I would really appreciate it if you would all shut the hell up abount conspiracies. And unlike you who are to afraid to tell who you really are, I'm going to sign this thing... Please, just leave our community and our tragic loss alone. It's not your business.

Elyse do you really know them? Do you know who Phillip was? He was ex. CIA and DEA pilot and he was a whistleblower about the 9/11 attacks and he was about to release another book implicating the Bush Administration for the 9/11 attacks! Do you know how many whistleblowers have died or been "suicided" for exposing 9/11 dozens. So no I dont believe this cover story for 1 second! Obviously you didnt know them that well!